Homeschool Houston Community College Issue Resolved

THSC interventions are one of the most commonly used THSC member benefits. THSC intervenes on behalf of members dozens of times each month to remind government officials, employers or other organizations of the laws regarding homeschooling within the state of Texas.

THSC intervention is often in the form of letters, emails, phone calls and member representation in-person during meetings with organizations and entities.

When our members experience difficulties with institutions of higher education because of having homeschooled, THSC will intervene. We want to ensure that all Texas colleges, universities and technical schools are aware of what Texas law says regarding homeschooling.

Houston Community College

In May of 2018, a member contacted THSC regarding a developing issue with Houston Community College (HCC). The member told us that her daughter had been taking courses at HCC and had even received FAFSA financial aid for the previous semester. The daughter was already enrolled in summer classes for 2018.

However, FAFSA intended to decline their application for the 2018 fall semester—even after this same homeschool student had already been approved by FAFSA for financial aid for the previous semester and the summer semester that she was currently enrolled in.

The reason HCC gave for denying her was that the name of our member’s homeschool was similar to the name of a known diploma mill. Because of this, the FAFSA application had been flagged and needed to be reported as fraud.

THSC Sends a Letter to HCC and Sets the Record Straight

In response, THSC drafted and sent a letter to HCC and copied several elected officials. The letter stated that according to state law, homeschool graduates are equivalent to public school graduates in Texas. Furthermore, homeschool transcripts created by homeschool instructors must, by law, be accepted by public state colleges.

Additionally, public universities and colleges in Texas are also required by law to treat homeschoolers no differently when considering them for admission. HCC quickly responded to this letter by assigning an attorney to the case. The attorney requested the proper privacy release information so that he could begin discussions with THSC.

THSC Talks with HCC Attorney and Resolves Situation

THSC had several phone calls with HCC’s attorney in order to bring clarity to the situation. During these discussions, THSC explained that it is standard practice for a family to uniquely name its homeschool, and that our member did not get her diploma from a diploma mill.

HCC took its responsibility seriously to ensure there was no fraudulent activity, then also acted quickly to remedy the situation once the mistake had come to light. After this understanding was established, THSC and HCC came to an agreement on next steps for the student to regain FAFSA approval.

HCC Approves FAFSA Financial Aid Application

Several days following the last phone call between HCC and THSC, our member contacted us to let us know that HCC approved her daughter’s financial aid application for the fall of 2018!

HCC did a fantastic job responding quickly to a simple mix-up that might have made the difference between this homeschool graduate being able to attend college or not.

About Stephen Howsley

As a writer, public policy analyst, and lobbyist for the Texas Home School Coalition, Stephen has been working for THSC since 2015. A homeschool graduate himself, he passionately believes in fighting for families’ rights to homeschool. Stephen credits his leadership training, character development and determination to his ten years spent with the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Stephen and his beautiful wife, Emma, live in Austin, Texas, with their two Labrador Retrievers. In their free time, they love spending time in their community, discovering new restaurants and coffee shops, and exploring the great outdoors. They worship and serve at The Austin Stone Community Church in downtown Austin.

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